Hoyer Awarded for Support of Stock Market Education Program

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny Hoyer today received recognition for his sponsorship of a team of students from Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro in the Securities Industry Association's (SIA) "Capitol Hill Challenge," a special competition using SIA's Stock Market Education Program. The Stock Market Game introduces young people to the capital markets and the basics of investing within the framework of an interactive, educational simulation.

"It is vital for the next generation to learn about investing and how the capital markets work," said Congressman Hoyer. "The Stock Market Program is a great first step in creating knowledgeable, informed investors and will teach our students life skills about managing their finances that will last a lifetime. I would like to congratulate the students from Frederick Douglass High School who took part in the Capitol Hill Challenge for their impressive finish. I look forward to continuing to work with the securities industry in support of investor education."

"SIA is very proud to have been joined by Rep. Hoyer in the Capitol Hill Challenge," said SIA Chairman Richard E. Thornburgh, the chief risk officer for Credit Suisse Group and a member of the Credit Suisse First Boston Operating Committee. Thornburgh presented Rep. Hoyer with a handsome plaque in recognition of his "Outstanding Support of The Stock Market Game Program in The Capitol Hill Challenge."

The competition put students at the Frederick Douglass High School in competition with students in 12 other states. Frederick Douglass High School had 8 teams participating and the top performer was ranked 13th out of 106 competitors. You can view the results by clicking on the following link: http://www.sia.com/capitol_hill/

The Stock Market Game is the nation's first and largest educational stock market simulation program. It is widely used in grades four through 12 to teach math, social studies, business, economics, and language skills. In the game, each student or team of students is given a hypothetical $100,000 to "invest" over a 10-week period. The program includes grade-specific curriculum guides, lesson plans, an online simulation for classroom use, and weekly newsletters for teachers to incorporate in their lessons. Since it was introduced in 1977, nearly nine-million students have participated.

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